Push-Release Locking Mechanism for a Package With a Pivoting Tray

ABSTRACT

A package comprising an outer sleeve with an inner void having a push-release locking mechanism positioned therein, and a tray for receiving articles that is pivotally connected to the outer sleeve, in which the push-release locking mechanism includes a means for locking and a means for spring loading, each located between the tray and the outer sleeve; and a method for releasing the tray from the outer sleeve, are described herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to portable packages and, morespecifically, to a push-release locking mechanism in a package includinga pivoted tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a transparent package accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the transparent package of FIG. 1 as the pushbutton is pressed.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are top views of the transparent package of FIG. 1 as thepush button is released.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the transparent package of FIG. 1 as thetray is rotated from the outer sleeve.

FIG. 7 is a detail view of the transparent package of FIG. 1 showing themovement of the push-release locking mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a transparentpackage according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein. It will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merelyexamples to illustrate aspects of the invention that may be embodied invarious and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale,and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details ofparticular components. In other instances, well-known materials ormethods have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the presentinvention. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a basisfor the claims and for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate certainof the various aspects of exemplary embodiments of a package. Generallydescribed, the package includes an outer sleeve pivotally connected toan inner tray and includes a push-release locking mechanism.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment of a package 10 according tothe present invention. The package 10 includes an outer sleeve 12 thatreceives a pivoting tray 14. The outer sleeve 12 and the pivoting tray14 can be formed of plastic material and formed by injection molding.However, it will be appreciated that other materials and processes canbe used to form the package 10, such as, in some instances, paperboard,without departing from the scope of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1, the outer sleeve 12 includes a top wall 22, a bottom wall 24, afirst side wall 26, a second side wall 28, and a rear wall 30. The walls22, 24, 26, 28, 30 are substantially rectangular and rigidly connectedto leave a front opening 32 and define a void 34 where the pivoting tray14 is received and stored. More specifically, the bottom wall 24 issubstantially parallel to and aligned with the top wall 22, the sidewalls 26, 28 extend between and are substantially perpendicular to thewalls 22, 24 on opposing sides of the package 10, and the rear wall 30extends between, and is substantially perpendicular to, the walls 22,24, 26, 28. In alternative embodiments, the outer sleeve 12 may be anysize or shape that is able to receive a pivoting tray 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pivoting tray 14 includes a top surface 42, abottom surface 44, and an edge surface 46. More specifically, the topsurface 42 is substantially parallel and aligned with the bottom surface44 and the edge surface 46 extends between and is substantiallyperpendicular to the surfaces 42, 44. The pivoting tray 14 may be anyshape or size that is suitable to being received by the void 34 definedby the outer sleeve 12 and additionally can be adapted to receivearticles or items positioned on the tray 14. Further, the pivoting tray14 can be shaped to deflect the locking arm in the process that will bedescribed in further detail below. In the exemplary embodiment, the topsurface 42 includes receptacles 48 that may contain products including,but not limited to, cosmetics, jewelry, candy, medication, or anyportable item or items. The receptacles 48 may be any suitable shape orsize to adapt to any item to be contained therein. In alternativeembodiments, the top surface 42 may include a known receiving structure,such as a mount or hub for receiving a compact disc.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the pivoting tray 14 ispivotally connected to the outer sleeve 12 by axels 50 that extend fromthe top surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the pivoting tray 14,and are received in. respective apertures 52 in the top wall 22 and thebottom wall 24 of the outer sleeve 12. The apertures 52 are locatedadjacent to the corner of the outer sleeve 12 formed by the first sidewall 26 and the front opening 32. Similarly, the axels 50 are positionedsuch that the pivoting tray 14 can pivotally rotate in and out of theouter sleeve 12 as will be described in more detail below. Inalternative embodiments, axels may extend from the inner surfaces of thetop wall 22 and bottom wall 24 into an aperture in the pivoting tray 14.

The package 10 includes a push-release locking mechanism that will nowbe described. In the exemplary embodiment, the push-release mechanismincludes a push button 54 located on the portion of the edge wall 46that is adjacent to the front opening 32, as the pivoting tray 14 isfully received by the outer sleeve 12 or otherwise in a locked positionas shown in FIG. 2. The push-release mechanism further includes a meansfor locking and a means for spring loading. In the exemplary embodiment,the means for locking includes an arm 62 that is integral to and extendsfrom the tray 14, and a locking arm 64 that is integral or otherwiserigidly attached to the inner surface of the first side wall 26. Thelocking arm 64 may optionally be attached to the inner surface of theouter sleeve 12 by a pin connection where a spring may be used tocontrol the deflection of the locking arm 64.

In the locked position, the distal end of the arm 62 is secured orotherwise prevented from rotating by an edge 66 of the locking arm 64.In the exemplary embodiment, the means for spring loading includes aspring 70 and the arm 62. In the locked position, the spring 70 may beat least partially loaded to hold the distal end of the arm 62 againstthe edge 66. More specifically, in terms of the internal stresses thatare present in the push-release locking mechanism elements when theelements are in the locked position, the spring 70 is in compression, aportion of the locking arm 64 extending from the first side wall 26 upto the edge 66 is in tension and the remaining portion is substantiallyin compression, and the arm 62 is in bending.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pivoting tray 14 is released from the lockedposition by first applying a force F to the push button 54. In theexemplary. embodiment, applying a force F to the push button 54 rotatesthe pivoting tray 14 into the void 34 to simultaneously deflect thelocking arm 64, rotate the arm 62 from the edge 66, and rotate the arm62 to additionally load the spring 70. More specifically, in terms ofthe internal stresses that are present in the push-release lockingmechanism elements when the elements are as shown in FIG. 3, the spring70 is in compression, the locking arm 64 is in bending, and the arm 62is in bending.

The force F is then removed to release the pivoting tray 14 out of thevoid 34, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. More specifically, as the force F isremoved, the loaded or otherwise compressed spring 70 pushes against thearm 62 to quickly rotate the pivoting tray 14 and with it the arm 62,such that as the locking arm 64 returns to a non-deflected position thearm 62 is not obstructed by or otherwise reengaged to the edge 66, orreturned to the locking position. The pivoting tray 14 is furtherrotated out of the void and through the front opening 32, as shown inFIG. 6, to access the items contained in the package 10.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed illustration of an arcuate path P1 that a pointon the edge 66 of the locking arm 64 follows as the locking arm 64rotates about the point X, an arcuate path P2 that a point on the freeend of the arm 62 follows as the arm 62 rotates with the pivoting trayabout the point Y, and intersection point Z of the paths P1, P2. Thepoints A1, B1 and A2, B2 correspond to FIGS. 4 and 6, respectively, suchthat the points A1, B1 respectively represent the points on the edge 66and the distal end of the arm 62 at a position earlier in a sequence ofevents as shown in FIG. 3 and the points A2, B2 respectively representthe points on the edge 66 and the distal end of the arm 62 at a positionthat is later in a sequence of events shown in FIG. 5. The intersectionpoint Z substantially defines where the respective points on the edge 66and the distal end of the arm 62 substantially meet when the edge 66 andthe distal end of the arm 62 are engaged in the locking position shownin FIG. 2. Thus, to further describe the timing of the push-releaselocking mechanism, a force F is applied to the push button 54 toposition the edge 66 at the point A1 and the distal end of the arm 62 atthe point B1, as shown in FIG. 7. As the force F is released, the distalend of the arm 62 moves from the point B1 to the point B2 along the pathP2 such that it reaches the point Z before the edge 66 as it moves fromthe point A1 to the point A2 along the path P1.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the package 110 issubstantially similar to the package 10 and only certain aspects will bediscussed. The alternative embodiment includes a push-release lockingmechanism that functions substantially similarly to that of the package10 where the means for locking is a locking arm 164 that is held againstthe edge 166 of a bump 162 on the pivoting tray 114 and the means forspring loading is an elastic leg 170 that extends from the pivoting tray114 to a stationary surface 172. Alternatively, the locking arm mayinclude the bump to be received in a depression in the pivoting tray.Further, the stationary surface may alternatively be a means for springloading. It should be noted that the means for spring loading includeshelical or coil spring and flat spring where the helical spring furtherinclude compression springs, extension springs, and torsion springs.

It must be emphasized that the law does not require and it iseconomically prohibitive to illustrate and teach every possibleembodiment of the present claims. Hence, the above-described embodimentsare merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for aclear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variationsand modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims. All such modifications,combinations, and variation are included herein by the scope of thisdisclosure and the following claims.

1. A package, comprising: An outer sleeve comprising an inner void; andA tray for receiving articles that is pivotally connected to said outersleeve; and A push-release locking mechanism positioned in the innervoid of said outer sleeve, comprising: A means for locking locatedbetween said tray and said outer sleeve; and A means for spring loadinglocated between said tray and said outer sleeve;
 2. A method forreleasing said tray from said outer sleeve of the package of claim 1 ,comprising: Pushing said tray into said outer sleeve to disengage saidmeans for locking and to load said means for spring loading; andReleasing said tray to allow said means for spring loading to rotatesaid tray such that said means for locking is not reengaged.
 3. Apackage comprising: a) an outer sleeve defining an inner void; b) a trayfor storing a product which is pivotally connected to the outer sleeveand adapted for movement between a first locked configuration whereinthe tray is restrained within the inner void of the sleeve and a secondconfiguration wherein the tray is exposed such that product stored bythe tray can be accessed; and c) a push-release locking mechanism thatincludes: i) means for locking the tray in the first position; and ii)means for spring loading the tray and biasing the tray toward the secondposition; wherein the means for locking the tray in the first positionis released by pushing the tray further into the void of the sleeve. 4.The package as recited in claim 3, wherein the tray further includes atleast one receptacle for receiving a product.
 5. The package as recitedin claim 3, wherein the means for locking the tray in the first positionincludes an arm extending from the tray which releasably engages with alocking arm associated with the outer sleeve.
 6. The package as recitedin claim 5, wherein the means for spring loading the tray and biasingthe tray into the second position includes a spring, wherein when thetray is in the first position, the spring engages with the arm extendingfrom the tray.
 7. The package as recited in claim 5, wherein the lockingarm is integrally formed with the outer sleeve.
 8. The package asrecited in claim 5, wherein the locking arm is attached to the outersleeve through a pin connection and wherein a spring is used to controllateral deflection of the locking arm.
 9. The package as recited inclaim 5, wherein the locking arm includes an edge for receiving a tip ofthe arm associated with the tray.
 10. The package as recited in claim 3,wherein when the tray is pushed further into the void in order torelease the locking means it contacts and deflects the locking arm andreleases the locking means.
 11. The package as recited in claim 3,wherein the the means for locking the tray in the first positionincludes a locking arm extending from the outer sleeve which releasablyengages with a bump formed on the tray.
 12. The package as recited inclaim 10, wherein the means for spring loading the tray and biasing thetray into the second position includes an elastic leg extending from thetray and a stationary surface associated with the outer sleeve.
 13. Thepackage as recited in claim 11, wherein the locking arm is integrallyformed with the outer sleeve.
 14. The package as recited in claim 11,wherein the locking arm is attached to the outer sleeve through a pinconnection and wherein a spring is used to control lateral deflection ofthe locking arm.